The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, questioned the United States government about the contradictions surrounding the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) participated in the public display of the plane used to transport the alleged leader of the Sinaloa Cartel to United States territory in July 2024.

During her morning conference, the president announced that she will present a report with a chronology of the events related to Zambada's arrest, including official communications between both countries, the information provided by US authorities and the investigations carried out by Mexico.

Sheinbaum maintained that it is necessary to clarify how the operation occurred and determine if there was direct participation by US agencies in Mexican territory, despite the fact that Washington initially denied having provided aircraft, pilots, agents or resources for the capture.

"The way in which this arrest was carried out must be clarified. It is important to know who told the truth and who did not," said the president, insisting that the objective is to protect national sovereignty and not defend the drug trafficker, who was facing arrest warrants in Mexico.

Plane display reignites debate

The controversy arose after the Beechcraft King Air plane used to transport Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López was incorporated into a permanent exhibition at the War Eagles Air Museum, located in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The museum reported that the aircraft was donated by the FBI for educational purposes to explain how aviation can be used by criminal organizations and the way in which authorities combat this type of activity.

The display attracted attention because the aircraft was used in the operation that culminated in the arrest of both men after landing at the Doña Ana County airport, very close to El Paso, Texas.

After the donation became known, doubts resurfaced about the true extent of US participation in the operation, since in 2024 the then US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, publicly assured that the capture did not involve US resources, pilots or agents.

Mexico prepares a review of the case

Sheinbaum announced that he will request additional information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Legal Department of the Federal Executive and the Attorney General's Office of the Republic to integrate the file that will be presented publicly.

The review will include statements issued by the then prosecutor Alejandro Gertz Manero, diplomatic communications exchanged with US authorities and the investigation folders opened in Mexico. Zambada's case has remained surrounded by conflicting versions since his capture.

The founder of the Sinaloa Cartel later maintained that he was kidnapped by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who allegedly tricked him into boarding the aircraft that finally landed on US territory.

After their arrest, both faced legal proceedings in the United States. Zambada ended up pleading guilty to crimes related to drug trafficking, while Guzmán López also accepted charges as part of his criminal process.

The exhibition of the plane has once again placed the case at the center of the political debate between Mexico and the United States, while the Mexican government insists that the circumstances surrounding one of the most relevant operations against the Sinaloa Cartel in recent years be completely clarified.